Protective sliding wall panel assembly

ABSTRACT

A panel slider assembly for protecting verandas and exposed glass surfaces from wind damage and burglary attempts, comprising at least one panel slider of snap-lock construction, an inverted channel-shaped frame housing that extends along the entire bottom edge of the panel slider, a plurality of roller frames which are spaced apart within the frame housing and are equipped with horizontally disposed retention shelves, a bottom roller which is rotatably attached to each roller frame, a floor-mounted retention channel having a mushroom track upon which the bottom rollers travel and horizontally disposed retention lips which are higher and spaced closer together than the retention shelves, a downwardly disposed adjustment channel which is attached to the ceiling and within which the top portion of the wall panel slides, and at least two pairs of rotatably attached and horizontally disposed adjustment rollers which fend off the sides of the adjustment channels while permitting vertical movement of the panel slider therewithin.

United States Patent Egan, Jr. et al.

[54] PROTECTIVE SLIDING WALL PANEL ASSEMBLY [451 Sept. 26, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 529,268 9/1921 France ..49/425 [72] Inventors: Bruce C. Egan, Jr., Ft. Lauderdale, 1,104,543 2/1968 Great Britain ..49/425 Fla. 33308; Morton S. Riflrin, Miami; Grover C. King, Plantation, Primary ExaminerDennis L. Taylor both of Fla. 7 Attorney-McCarthy, Depaoli, OBrien & Price [73] Assignee: Bruce C. Egan, Jr., Fort Lau- [57] ABSTRACT derdale, Fla. A panel slider assembly for protecting verandas and [22] Filed: May 6 1971 exposed glass surfaces from wind damage and burglary attempts, comprising at least one panel slider of snap- [21] Appl. No.: 140,785 lock construction, an inverted channel-shaped frame housing that extends along the entire bottom edge of the panel slider, a plurality of roller frames which are (g1. ..49/56, 49/ 12566199.}; Spaced apart within the frame housing and are I equipped with horizontally disposed retention shelves, [581 Field of search""49/425 3 274 3 3 a bottom roller which is rotatably attached to each roller frame, a floor-mounted retention channel having a mushroom track upon which the bottom rollers [56] References Clted travel and horizontally disposed retention lips which UNITED STATES PATENTS are higher and spaced closer together than the retention shelves, a downwardly disposed adjustment chan- 3,309,8l6 3/l967 Malone ..49/425 X 1 which is attached to the ceiling and within which 3,307,314 3/1967 Varlonga ..52/46l the top portion of the wall panel slides, and at least l,274,872 8/1918 G 0l'd0n ..49/425 X two pairs of rotatably attached and horizontally 2,197,385 4/1940 Ricken ..49/425 X disposed adjustment rollers which fend off the Sides of 2,704,866 3/1955 Grossman ..49/425 the adjustment channels while permitting vertical 3,033,285 5/l962 Banner ..49/425 movement of the pane] Slider therewithim 3,081,851 3/1963 Hubbard ..52/73l 3,41 1,247 1 1/1968 Fleming ..49/501 7 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures 17 en r & b

5 F 1 e ll/um E z: 16 E 8 a '5; E i 51 17 2. 5 j 5 a 57 5 PATENTEDsEP2s m2 WIE W X R my SHEET 1 BF 2 1 Win I WIIHHH 19' 5 5 1 \5 INVENTDRS sauce (2. EGAN,-Jra.,

O ON S QWWQN D R mane ,D kp'evmme ATTORNEYS 1 PROTECTIVE SLIDING WALL PANEL ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to sliding wall panels and particularly relates to bottom roller-and-track support means therefor. It especially relates to means for retaining said sliding wall panels against dislodgement from said track.

2. Description of the Prior Art Sliding wall panels have been used for many years and for such diverse purposes as railway freight car doors, moveable partitions for dividing 'a large room into smaller rooms, and storm and burglary-proof protecting walls which selectively protect and/or enclose verandas, patios, store fronts, shopping malls, and the like.

Some of the existing sliding wall panels are hung from a ceiling track and extend to the floor. If there is a variation in vertical distance between the floor and the ceiling, the ceiling installation must be adjusted accordingly, requiring much skilled labor. Other types of sliding wall panels in the prior art are entirely supported upon rollers operating within and upon a fixed load-bearing track which is attached to the floor or embedded therewithin. The instant invention, hereinafter termed a protective panel slider, is an improvement over sliding wall panels of this type.

An important requirement for a protective panel slider is that it not be readily removable by outside agents, such as hurricane-strength winds or burglary tools. Installation requirements for leveling tracks, establishing a uniform distance between top and bottom tracks for the entire length of a sliding wall panel system, and securing tracks to a floor can be particularly onerous for protective panel sliders of the prior art. Finally, the attaching means for securing the roller system to the bottom of a panel slider isgenerally expensive, elaborate, and difiicult to install.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a slider retention means that prevents dislodgement of a slider from a bottom track.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vertical distance adjustment means that obviates the need for establishing a uniform distance between the bottom and top tracks.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive means for attaching the roller system to the bottom of a slider.

The protective panel slider assembly of this invention comprises:

A. at least one panel slider,

B. a retention channel having a track therewithin,

C. a bottom roller attachment means,

D. a bottom roller,

E. a retention means, and

F. a vertical adjustment means.

The retention means comprises retention shelves projecting substantially horizontally from the bottom roller attachment means and retention lips projecting substantially horizontally from the retention channel and disposed above the retention shelves.

The bottom roller attachment means comprises a roller frame which is attachable directly to the bottom edge of the panel slider but preferably comprises a downwardly disposed, U-shaped frame housing which is directly attached to the bottom edge of the panel slider along its entire length and within which at least two roller frames are mounted.

A bottom roller is rotatably attached to and within each roller frame so that a portion thereof projects therebeneath.

The retention channel is at least twice as long as the width of the panel slider and is aligned therewith. The frame housing is as long as the width of the panel sliders.

The vertical adjustment means comprises: (1) a downwardly disposed, U-shaped adjustment channel which is disposed above and aligned with the retention channel and within which the top portion of the panel slider is slideably moveable and (2) at least two spacedapart pairs of horizontally disposed adjustment rollers, each adjustment roller being rotatably attached to the top edge of the panel slider and projecting outwardly thereof so that each pair of adjustment rollers straddles the panel slider and makes light, rollable contact with the inner surfaces of the adjustment channel, thereby fending off the panel slider. 4

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation end view of the bottom portion of a panel slider, the bottom roller attachment means, a bottom roller, and the retention channel.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an inverted roller frame.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a roller frame having a roller positioned therewithin in phantom.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of a roller frame having a roller positioned therewithin in phantom.

FIG. 5 is a perspective elevation view of a system of three panel sliders of this invention with supporting retention channels and overhead adjustment channels.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the bottom of one panel slider having a portion of the frame housing broken away to show a roller frame attached therewithin and with a portion of the retention channel broken away to show the mushroom track supporting the bottom roller therewithin.

FIG. 7 is a sectional end view of the outer panel slider shown in FIG. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows 7--7 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a sectional plan view of the center post of the outer panel slider, looking in the direction of the arrows 8-8 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is an elevation end view of a panel slider having a modified support means on a modified retention channel.

FIG. 10 is an elevation end view of another embodiment of the support means and another embodiment of the retention channel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The panel slider assembly of this invention, as shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and '7, comprises the panel slider 70, a bottom roller attachment means, at least two rollers 20, the retention channel 50 therebeneath, and the adjustment channel 60 thereabove. The bottom roller attachment means comprises the frame housing 40,

which is attached to the bottom edge of the panel slider 70 along its entire width, and the roller frame which is attached to the frame housing 40 and to the panel slider 70 at a minimum of two spaced-apart positions beneath the panel slider 70.

The frame housing 40 can be attached along the entire width of the panel slider 70 to the bottom thereof with a suitable adhesive or can be attached with screws therealong, such as the screws 47 with which both the roller frame 30 and frame housing 40 are secured to the bottom edge of the panel slider 70, as shown in FIG. 7. Frame housing 40 is simply a U-shaped channel which is downwardly open. Its load plate 41 is adjacent to the bottom edge of the panel slider 70, and its side walls 42, 42' have a stiffening function in support of the roller frame 30. The bottom edges 43, 43' of the side walls 42, 42' are preferably loadbearing edges, as is described hereinafter.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the roller frame 30 comprises the bridge plate 31 which is preferably in two parts with aperture 32 therebetween, the side plates 33, 33' which are rigidly and perpendicularly attached to the bridge plate 31, the flanges 35, 35 which are attached to the side plates 33, 33' in opposed relationship, the axles 38, 38' which are concentrically attached to the flanges 35, 35 in opposed relationship, the shelves 39, 39' which are attached to the outside surfaces of the side plates 33, 33 in perpendicular relationship thereto, and the fastening holes 37. As is shown in FIG. 1, the width of the side walls 42, 42 is preferably the same on the insides thereof as the outside distance from the top surface of the bridge plate 31 to the top edges of the shelves 39, 39' so that the bottom edges 43, 43 are in load-bearing relationship to the shelves 39, 39. When a plurality of the roller frames 30 are attached to a panel slider 70 in rollably supporting relationship, screws 47 are used, as shown in FIG. 7, to attach both the roller frame 30 and the frame housing to the bottom edge of the panel slider 70.

The roller 20 comprises the mushroom roller groove 21 which is centered in the perimeter thereof, the roller rims 22, 22' on each side of the roller groove 21, and the roller journals 23, 23'. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, a roller 20 is journaled on the axles 38, 38' of each roller frame 30. The upper edge of the roller 20 as it rotates upon the axles 38, 38 is disposed directly beneath the aperture 32, as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Although the upper edges of the roller rims 22, 22 are spaced slightly apart from the surface of the bridge plate 31, aperture 32 directly thereabove allows additional room for prevention of contact in the event of unlikely shock or unusually heavy loads.

The vertical adjustment means comprises the U- shaped adjustment channel 60, at least two pairs of horizontal disposed adjustment rollers 63, the attachment screws 65, and the adjustment screws 64 which rotatably attach the adjustment rollers 63 to the top edge of each panel slider 70. The adjustment channel 60 comprises the top plate 61 and the side plates As shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 7, the retention channel 50 comprises the elongated bottom plate 51, the track stud 53 which is rigidly and perpendicularly attached thereto and is disposed centrally thereof, the

mushroom track 52 which is rigidly attached to the upper edge of the track stud 53, the guard plates 54, 54' which are rigidly and perpendicularly attached to the bottom plate 5ll along the outside edges thereof, and the retention lips 56, 56' which are rigidly and perpendicularly attached to the upper edges of the guard plates 54, 54' in inwardly opposed relationship. The distance between the opposed retention lips 56, 56' is less than the distance between the outer edges of the shelves 39, 39 of a roller frame 30. The retention lips 56, 56' are disposed above the shelves 39, 39.

The upper surface of the mushroom track 52 is arcuately parallel with the lower surface of the mushroom roller groove 21 when the roller 20 is upright, so that a plurality of rollers 20 may roll smoothly along the mushroom track 52. A plurality of retention channels 50 may be disposed in parallel along a floor 15. When a three-channel retention assembly is used, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the outer retention channel 57, the middle retention channel 58, and inner retention channel 59 are secured to the floor 15 with the attaching screws 55 in side-by-side, adjacent relationship. The outer panel slider 77 runs within the outer retention channel 57, the middle panel slider 78 runs within the middle retention channel 58, and the inner panel slider 79 runs within the inner retention channel 59. The panel sliders 77, 78, and 79 may be slid into a compact, side-by-side position along either side of the room or wall area to be protected. The vertical adjustment means further comprises the outer adjustment channel 67, the middle adjustment channel 68, and the inner adjustment channel 69. Each of the adjustment channels 67, 68, and 69 has the top plate 61 and the side plates 62, 62'. When any of the panel sliders 77, 78, or 79 rolls within one of the retention channels 57, 58, or 59, the adjustment rollers 63 roll in light contact with the inner surfaces of the side plates 62, 62 of the respective adjustment channels 67, 68, and 69. These adjustment rollers 63 maintain a small selected distance 18 between the outside surface of a typical panel slider and the adjacent inner surface of a side plate 62 or 62. Whenever the vertical distance between the floor 15 and the ceiling 17 of the aperture to be protectively covered happens to increase or decrease, the panel slider 70 of this invention simply moves up or down within the vertical adjustment means.

The preferred panel slider 70 of this invention has been described in the co-pending application, Ser. No. 64,755, filed Aug. 18, 1970 and assigned to the assignee of this invention. This snap-locked panel slider 70 comprises the bottom post 71, the side vertical posts 72, the center vertical posts 73, the top post 74, the panel insert 75, and the panel insert tip 76 in the preferred embodiment. However, this invention is useful with panels 70 constructed of wood, hardboard, flakeboard, glass, or metal, for example, of any desired design. The preferred snap-locked embodiment utilizes panel inserts which are gripped by the opposed walls of the snap-locked posts.

Also as described in the co-pending application, any post 71, 72, 73, or 74 is formed of opposed post walls 87, 87, which are conjoined by the snap-locked grip member 81 and the snap-over member 83. A panelinsert is interposed in the panel slot 89 between the edges of opposed side walls 86, 86 of the post walls 87,

87' and is disposed within the panel guide 85 so that the panel insert tip 76 is wedged tightly therein, exerting a spring-like separatory force upon the grip member 81 and the snap-over member 83.

The stiffener 90 of this invention comprises the elongated strut 91, the elongated main flange 92, the elongated auxiliary flange 93, and the elongated stud braces 94, 94'. The main flange 92 is rigidly and perpendicularly attached at one edge of the strut 91 and the auxiliary flange 93 is rigidly and perpendicularly attached at the other edge of the strut 91. Each stud brace 94, 94' is rigidly and perpendicularly attached at one edge of the main flange 92, as shown in FIG. 8. The distance between the outside surfaces of the stud braces 94, 94' is exactly the same as the distance between the opposed surfaces of the grip stud 82 and the snap-over stud 84', whereby a strong bracing action is exerted upon the stud members 82' and 84 under extreme stress. The auxiliary flange 93 can be exactly as wide as the main flange 92 with stud braces at the edges thereof so that the snap-over stud 84 and the grip stud 92, attached to the opposed wall 87, can also be rigidly braced.

Further, although the snap-lock joint of the co-pending application is extremely strong when the opposed walls 87, 87 are under compression, the stud brace 94 can be lengthened so as to completely coincide with the dimensions of the grip stud 82'.

As is conventional in the art, a catch-up or protruding tab (not shown in the drawings) is attached to the rear edge of the panel slider 77 and is disposed to engage the front edge of the panel slider 78 or a mating tab protruding therefrom. Similarily, a tab is attached to the rear edge of the panel slider 78 in position to engage the front edge of the panel slider 79. These tabs enable all of the inter-engaged panel sliders in a protective panel slider assembly to be pulled from a side-byside storage position by slideably pulling the outer panel slider. In closing the protective panel slider assembly of this invention, the respective tabs engage the edges of the adjacent panel slider so as to sequentially collapse the extended slider assembly.

As described hereinbefore, the slider assembly of this invention is quickly and simply installed, is simply adjusted for vertical variations between floor and ceiling, can withstand strong dislodging forces, and is useful for many protective and separatory needs. For example, sliding airplane hangar doors can be constructed according to the principles of this invention by using as many rollers along the bottom of a panel slider 70 as space permits; for example, if such a hangar door is 10 feet across, at least of the roller frames can be assembled end to end along the bottom edge thereof, and

the mushroom track 52 can be strengthened by thickening the track stud 53.

As a sliding door shutter, designed to protect sliding glass balcony doors at various elevations in apartment houses, the panel slider assembly of this invention has been approved for installation according to the building code of one Florida city along the east coast, where hurricane conditions can be expected.

According to trapezoidal loading tests, a panel slider 70 which is 20 inches wide and 90 inches high can withstand a loading force of 24 pounds per square foot as the middle panel slider 78 of a three-panel slider assembly without a stiffener 90 within the center post 73.

When equipped with a stiffener 90 inside each post 20 inches apart, the center panel slider 78 of a three-panel slider assembly which is 90 inches high can withstand 50 pounds per square foot of transversely exerted pressure. As a single panel slider without a stiffener, a panel slider which is 20 inches wide and inches high can withstand about 47 pounds per square foot. These capabilities mean that the slider assemblies of this invention can be installed in hurricane-susceptible areas and in particular can be installed at considerable distances above the ground, such as in high apartment buildings where outside verandas must be protected from severe winds which increase with distance from the ground. For example, 47 pounds per square foot is rated as the expected wind pressure equivalent to 65 feet above the ground.

This invention is equally useful as a sliding storm shutter, window shade, rain protecter, or light-shielding device for window-like areas of relatively small height and great width. Picture windows over a lake or ocean are excellent examples of such exposed areas having extensive lateral dimensions but rather small height for which conventional shutters are not suitable. Other examples of areas needing protection from high winds are glass-surfaced restaurants in elevated positions, as on the roofs of buildings. Sudden storm conditions which may include wind-bearing debris and even confused birds can create considerable havoc. A panel slider assembly which can be very rapidly extended to cover and protect the glass surfaces is widely needed.

Other examples of use for the slider assembly of this invention are shopping malls where burglary protection is vital. By rolling the plurality of panel sliders 70 along the retention channels 50 into side-by-side position within a wall recess of the building, the panel sliders 70 can be unobtrusively positioned and stored. At closing time, the plurality of panel sliders 70 can be quickly slid into position and locked so that ordinary burglary attempts are impractical and vandalism toward glass display windows is inhibited. Attempted lifting of a panel slider 70 causes a shelf 39 or 39 to contact and be caught by a retention lip 56 or 56', respectively, so that a further removal of the panel slider 70 is impossible without the destruction of one or more parts of the assembly. As can be seen in FIG. 6, because the guard plates 54, 54' extend above the downward extension of the side walls 42, 42, it is impossible to see beneath the panel slider 70 and nearly impossible to insert a tool between a retention lip 56, 56' and an adjacent side wall 42, 42. Hence, the slider assembly of this invention constitutes a reliable, burglary-resistant device which is readily maneuverable, attractive, and quickly installed.

DESCRIPTION OF OTHER EMBODIMENTS FIG. 9 shows a panel slider 70 in combination with a modified frame housing 40a, a modified roller frame 30a, and a modified retention channel 50a. The modified roller frame 30a differs from the preferred embodiment 30 by having extended side plates 33a, 33a and shelves 39a, 39a at the bottom edge thereof, approximately at the bottom of roller 20, which extend outward. The modified frame housing 40a differ from the preferred embodiment 40 by having extended side walls 42a, 42a which extend downwardly to the top surfaces of the shelves 39a, 39a. The modified retention channel 50a differs from the preferred embodiment 50 by having shorter guard plates 54a, 54a whose retention lips 56a extend inwardly in retaining relationship with the shelves 39a, 39a. The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is advantageous for installation directly upon a floor where considerable foot traff c thereacross can be expected, because the guard plates 54a, 54a are very low, barely giving protection to the mushroom track 52a.

Another modification of the roller frame 30, the frame housing 40, and the retention channel 50 is shown in FIG. 10 without a panel slider 70 attached thereto. The modified roller frame 30b differs from the preferred embodiment 30 and the other embodiment 300 by having its side plates 33b, 33b extending below the bottom roller and even below the bottom of the mushroom track 52b. The modified frame housing 40b differs from the preferred embodiment 40 and from the other embodiment 40a by having its side walls 42b, 42b extending downwardly below the bottom edges of the side plates 33b, 33b so that the rigidly and perpendicularly attached bottom shelves 46b, 46b project inwardly enclosing the roller frame b, and extending inwardly beyond the inner surfaces of the side plates 33b, 33b. The modified retention channel 50b has outwardly extending lips 56b, 56b which come above the bottom shelves 46b, 46b in retaining relationship. The modified retention channel 50b is advantageous where extremely heavy foot traffic can be expected and the retention channel must be mounted flush on a floor surface, particularly if the mushroom track 52b is strong enough to withstand contact therewith, for it is completely unprotected in this embodiment by the guard plates 54b, 54b.

The invention can be further simplified by completely omitting the frame housing 40, if necessary, and by directly attaching a plurality of roller frames 30 to the bottom edge of a panel slider 70 if visibility beneath the wall panel 70 is not objectionable and if the roller frame 30 is strengthened by additional thickness of the side plates 33, 33 and stiffening of the juncture of the side plates 33, 33 with the bridge plate 31. Other means for slidingly disposing the upper parts of the wall panel 70 within the vertical adjustment means are I suitable, such as teflon strips, greased steel slides, and

waxed wood surfaces instead of the rotatably attached adjustment rollers 63.

The specific method and embodiments described hereinbefore are merely for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it being understood that some modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention. Therefore, the terminology used throughout the specification is for the purpose of description and not limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A protective panel slider assembly for protecting and covering verandas and glass surfaces, having a load-supporting floor and a ceiling thereabove, against wind damage and burglary attempts, comprising:

A. at least one upright panel slider, having a top edge and a bottomedge;

B. a bottom roller attachment means comprising:

l. a downwardly open, U-shaped frame housing having the length of said bottom edge, comprising:

a. a load plate, attached to said bottom edge,

and

b. a pair of side walls, having load-bearing edges and a selected width, which are rigidly and perpendicularly attached to said load plate along the outer edges thereof, and

2. at least two roller frames, selectively attached to and within said frame housing at spaced-apart positions, each comprising:

a. a bridge plate which is attached in adjacent relationship to said load plate,

b. rigidly and perpendicularly attached side plates having a pair of inwardly disposed axles attached to the inner walls thereof and a pair of rigidly attached retention shelves projecting outwardly and perpendicularly therefrom at a distance from the top of said bridge plate equalling said selected width so that said loadbearing edges rest upon said retention shelves and said side walls have a stiffening function in support of said side plates;

C. at least two bottom rollers, each of which is rotatably attached to a pair of said inwardly disposed axles;

D. a retention channel, comprising:

1. an elongated bottom plate which is attached to and supported by said load-supporting floor,

2. a centrally disposed track which is rigidly attached to said bottom plate and upon which said bottom rollers travel,

3. a pair of guard plates which are rigidly and per pendicularly attached to said bottom plate along the outer edges thereof, and

4. a pair of retention lips, rigidly and perpendicularly attached to the upper edges of said guard plates, which are above and disposed to engage said retention shelves, whereby said panel slider cannot be dislodged from engagement with said retention channel; and

E. a vertical adjustment means which is rigidly attached to said ceiling, which is aligned with said adjustment channel, and within which said top edge slides.

2. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 1 wherein said vertical adjustment means comprises:

A. a U-shaped, downwardly open adjustment channel, disposed above and aligned with said retention channel, which is attached to said ceiling and within which said top edge slides, and

B. at least two pairs of horizontally disposed adjustment rollers whichare rotatably attached to said top edge and make rollable contact with the inner surfaces of said adjustment channel and fend off said panel slider therefrom.

3. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 1 wherein said bridge plate is in two parts with an aperture therebetween above said bottom roller.

4. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said retention channels are disposed side-by-side upon said load-supporting floor and a plurality of said adjustment channels are disposed side-by-side thereabove, a plurality of said panel sliders being rollably and retainably mounted therebetween in inter-engaged relationship.

5. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 1 in which said panel slider is of snap-locked construction and comprises snap-locked posts having opposed post walls and perpendicularly attached sidewalls which tightly grip panel inserts therebetween, said opposed post walls being:

A. conjoined by at least two pairs of snap-locked grip and snap-over members, which are spaced apart and are attached to said post walls by elongated grip and snap-over studs, respectively, and

B. strengthened by a stiffener which is disposed between said two pairs of snapJocked grip and snap-over members, whereby use of said stifiener imparts doubled resistance to transversely exerted wind pressure upon the center panel slider of a three-panel slider assembly.

6. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 5 in which said stiffener comprises an elongated strut which is parallel to said sidewalls, an elongated main flange 'i hich is adjacent to one of said opposed post walls and rigidly attached to one edge of said strut, an elongated auxiliary flange which is adjacent to the other post wall of said opposed post walls and is rigidly attached to the other edge of said strut, and an elongated stud brace which is rigidly and perpendicularly attached to each edge of said main flange so that the outer surfaces of the stud braces are closely adjacent ot the sides of the grip and snap-over studs attached to said one post wall in bracing relationship against inward buckling thereof.

7. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 6 wherein said auxiliary flange is exactly as wide as said main flange with stud braces at the edges thereof in adjacent and closely bracing relationship to the grip and snap-over studs attached to said other post wall.

* i l k 

1. A protective panel slider assembly for protecting and covering verandas and glass surfaces, having a load-supporting floor and a ceiling thereabove, against wind damage and burglary attempts, comprising: A. at least one upright panel slider, having a top edge and a bottom edge; B. a bottom roller attachment means comprising:
 1. a downwardly open, U-shaped frame housing having the length of said bottom edge, comprising: a. a load plate, attached to said bottom edge, and b. a pair of side walls, having load-bearing edges and a selected width, which are rigidly and perpendicularly attached to said load plate along the outer edges thereof, and
 2. at least two roller frames, selectively attached to and within said frame housing at spaced-apart positions, each comprising: a. a bridge plate which is attached in adjacent relationship to said load plate, b. rigidly and perpendicularly attached side plates having a pair of inwardly disposed axles attached to the inner walls thereof and a pair of rigidly attached retention shelves projecting outwardly and perpendicularly therefrom at a distance from the top of said bridge plate equalling said selected width so that said load-bearing edges rest upon said retention shelves and said side walls have a stiffening function in support of said side plates; C. at least two bottom rollers, each of which is rotatably attached to a pair of said inwardly disposed axles; D. a retention channel, comprising:
 1. an elongated bottom plate which is attached to and supported by said load-supporting floor,
 2. a centrally disposed track which is rigidly attached to said bottom plate and upon which said bottom rollers travel,
 3. a pair of guard plates which are rigidly and perpendicularly attached to said bottom plate along the outer edges thereof, and
 4. a pair of retention lips, rigidly and perpendicularly attached to the upper edges of said guard plates, which are above and disposed to engage said retention shelves, whereby said panel slider cannot be dislodged from engagement with said retention channel; and E. a vertical adjustment means which is rigidly attached to said ceiling, which is aligned with said adjustment channel, and within which said top edge slides.
 2. at least two roller frames, selectively attached to and within said frame housing at spaced-apart positions, each comprising: a. a bridge plate which is attached in adjacent relationship to said load plate, b. rigidly and perpendicularly attached side plates having a pair of inwardly disposed axles attached to the inner walls thereof and a pair of rigidly attached retention shelves projecting outwardly and perpendicularly therefrom at a distance from the top of said bridge plate equalling said selected width so that said load-bearing edges rest upon said retention shelves and said side walls have a stiffening function in support of said side plates; C. at least two bottom rollers, each of which is rotatably attached to a pair of said inwardly disposed axles; D. a retention channel, comprising:
 2. a centrally disposed track which is rigidly attached to said bottom plate and upon which said bottom rollers travel,
 2. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 1 wherein said vertical adjustment means comprises: A. a U-shaped, downwardly open adjustment channel, disposed above and aligned with said retention channel, which is attached to said ceiling and within which said top edge slides, and B. at least two pairs of horizontally disposed adjustment rollers which are rotatably attached to said top edge and make rollable contact with the inner Surfaces of said adjustment channel and fend off said panel slider therefrom.
 3. a pair of guard plates which are rigidly and perpendicularly attached to said bottom plate along the outer edges thereof, and
 3. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 1 wherein said bridge plate is in two parts with an aperture therebetween above said bottom roller.
 4. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said retention channels are disposed side-by-side upon said load-supporting floor and a plurality of said adjustment channels are disposed side-by-side thereabove, a plurality of said panel sliders being rollably and retainably mounted therebetween in inter-engaged relationship.
 4. a pair of retention lips, rigidly and perpendicularly attached to the upper edges of said guard plates, which are above and disposed to engage said retention shelves, whereby said panel slider cannot be dislodged from engagement with said retention channel; and E. a vertical adjustment means which is rigidly attached to said ceiling, which is aligned with said adjustment channel, and within which said top edge slides.
 5. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 1 in which said panel slider is of snap-locked construction and comprises snap-locked posts having opposed post walls and perpendicularly attached sidewalls which tightly grip panel inserts therebetween, said opposed post walls being: A. conjoined by at least two pairs of snap-locked grip and snap-over members, which are spaced apart and are attached to said post walls by elongated grip and snap-over studs, respectively, and B. strengthened by a stiffener which is disposed between said two pairs of snap-locked grip and snap-over members, whereby use of said stiffener imparts doubled resistance to transversely exerted wind pressure upon the center panel slider of a three-panel slider assembly.
 6. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 5 in which said stiffener comprises an elongated strut which is parallel to said sidewalls, an elongated main flange which is adjacent to one of said opposed post walls and rigidly attached to one edge of said strut, an elongated auxiliary flange which is adjacent to the other post wall of said opposed post walls and is rigidly attached to the other edge of said strut, and an elongated stud brace which is rigidly and perpendicularly attached to each edge of said main flange so that the outer surfaces of the stud braces are closely adjacent ot the sides of the grip and snap-over studs attached to said one post wall in bracing relationship against inward buckling thereof.
 7. The protective panel slider assembly of claim 6 wherein said auxiliary flange is exactly as wide as said main flange with stud braces at the edges thereof in adjacent and closely bracing relationship to the grip and snap-over studs attached to said other post wall. 